TomoMote 10th Anniversary
私の友達がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い。 Watashi no Tomodachi ga Motenai no wa Dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui. No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault That My Friend's Not Popular. Synopsis This is a new 10th anniversary release of TotoMote''Based on the release of an English translation posted by reddit user SgtSgr: Page 1; Page 2; Page 3; Page 4 . It is divided into four separate pages. 10th Anniversary Yū, with Kotomi behind her, walks up to Tomoko who is sitting at her desk reading a ''manga. When Yū asks her what she is reading, Tomoko responds that it is the new Gangan Joker ''which happens to be a 10th anniversary issue. Tomoko opines that while a 10th anniversary would be nothing for ''Shōnen Jump, if they add the "Gangan Wing" period, it is over twenty years which is impressive in their current age where one can read manga ''on a Smartphone. She notes that ''Gangan Powered did not make it that long, then muses it may be a bad time to mention it. "Then shut up," Kotomi responds. New Character The trio walk home with Yū. Tomoko continues to explain that while the magazines can last ten years, it is rare for a manga series. Yū pleasantly agrees while Kotomi sourly looks on. Tomoko explains that the standard "slice-of-life" series involving girls by ten years either have to move the characters to college or introduce a new character. Staring at Kotomi, Tomoko adds that then the "unpopular characters" gain less and less "screen time," then suggests that if their lives were a manga, Kotomi would be diminished. Kotomi orders her to "shut up" again. Tomoko then directs their attention to a girl walking in front of them and suggests that she could replace Kotomi. Kotomi retorts that the girl is clearly a "background character." Universality In a bookstore, the trio notice Asuka Katō who is walking next to a mostly obscured taller boy. Tomoko asks Yū if someone like herself could get a one or two boyfriend within ten years. When Yū tries to reply that she does not see why not, Kotomi emphatically denies it. When Tomoko angrily asks why, she reminds her of how nervous she acted around a boy she talked to. Tomoko recalls stammeringly asking a boy what their next class is: "That nosy bitch saw that?" While Katō giggles with the boy next to her, Tomoko opines that getting embarrassed and unable to talk around guys is the way moe characters act. In reality, that does not make one popular. Kotomi suggests that it is normally the "nice girls who are pretty and can hold conversations" who are the ones who are popular. Hope for the Future The trio walk past a number of students as they reach the station. The first is Yoshida standing looking tough while some distance away, Akane enjoys an ice cream crepe with an unidentified and anonymously drawn girl. Tomoko notes that it has been a while since they have been to the station and there are a lot of other kids around. Yū suggests that they could be middle school students going to the Education Research Society. Tomoko confesses that while she cannot picture herself ten years from now, she bets that she could be friends with a lot of these students. Kotomi dismisses her by noting that she can barely manage to make any friends in middle school. As Yuri, Mako, Minami, possibly Maki, Sachi, and Kiyota mill about, Tomoko politely asks "Kotomi-something" if she has any hopes or dreams for ten years from now. Kotomi admits that she does, but it is "so far fetched" that she cannot admit it outloud. When Tomoko asks Yū, Yū responds that she is a little embarrassed saying it. Blushing, Yū confesses that she wants all three of them to remain friends in ten years. Kotomi agrees that Yū is correct while thinking that she wants the Lottes to win the league championship. Tomoko thinks that she wants to "f●ck."WataMote Wiki does not have access to the Japanese Original scan to see if it is a variation of フ●ックして (fu●kkushite) as in Chapter 155 where the Japanese censorship really does not censor anything. Characters In order of appearance: *Tomoko Kuroki *Yū Naruse *Kotomi Komiyama *Emiri Uchi *Asuka Katō *Another Cute Guy (unnamed) *Masaki Yoshida *Akane Okada *Okada Friend (unnamed) *Yuri Tamura *Mako Tanaka *Koharu Minami *Maki (unnamed) *Sachi (unnamed) *Yoshinori Kiyota Referbacks and Forwards Since this came out at the time of the release of ''WataMote'' Chapter 159 much of the "forwards" refer to details in the future with respect to TomoMote but in the past for WataMote readers: *'Background Characters:' Uchi is sort of the paradigm of a WataMote "background character" who becomes significant over time. Many other characters do the same. *'"You Talkin' to ''Me? Well, I'm the Only One Here!":' While Yoshida may resent Tomoko and others viewing her as a "delinquent," she certainly took on the persona back in middle school for reasons yet unknown. *'"With Friends Like These":' despite a lack of communication in their first year at their respective high schools, Yū and Tomoko will come back together and, thus far, with Tomoko and Kotomi silently agreeing to a sort of ''detente around Yū, they are still friends. **Tomoko will become friends with Yuri, Yoshida, and Katō. WataMote ''Chapter 159 reveals that Akane texts Tomoko as well. She will become friends with most of those depicted. **Uchi is a separate category. *'Dancing the Light Fantastic:' while played for obvious comedy, Tomoko at the time of ''TomoMote only has her games and imagination to judge sex. WataMote will play on that innocence but by Chapter 55 Tomoko will wish to lose her virginity so she can focus on more important matters. As of Chapter 162, Tomoko has not come close to having a boyfriend. *'"What Class do We have Next Again?":' The event which Komiyama mentioned concerning Tomoko's inability to talk to boys corresponds to same flashback shown in Chapter 1. Cultural References *'[https://magazine.jp.square-enix.com/joker/ ガンガン''Joker]' *Shōnen Jump'' *'Smartphone:' because WataMote Wiki cares. Nice to know that Tomoko had a Smartphone when she was in junior high school. . . . *'Slice of Life' *'Education Research Society' (市教研・''shikyōken''):' ''Credit where Credit is Due Department, reddit user vonPeterhofexplains that the Japanese Original uses a term that Nico Tanigawaadmits on Twitter that many readers may not understand refers not to "Cram Schools" but to the 千葉市教育研究会 (Chiba Shikyōikukenkyōkai・Chiba City Education Research Society) which holds monthly events including special classes for elementary and middle school students from all over the city during the first half of the day. Trivia *'''Curse of the バンビノ: while WataMote Wiki empathises with Kotomi-chan having experienced an 86-year drought between Proper Baseball Championships, the Chiba Lotte Marines did win a Japanese Series Championship in 2005 and in 2010. Perhaps Kotomi was too young for those, though she should remember 2010. Perhaps she laments a nine-year drought, and at present time in WataMote, the Lottes are in Katō's cellar. Prior to 2005, the Lotte had not won the championship since 1974 which WataMote Wiki will grant is before Kotomi-chan appeared. Yet that is not 86 years. It is also not four proper baseball championships, the most this century, this millennium, with the third dependent on two Japanese pitchers who never played for the Chiba Lotte Marines. Memorial Moments *'Emiri-chan!:' with black hair and braids. *Tomoko notes how slice-of-life series about girls eventual move to college. When this was released, Tomoko and the rest of the "WataGirls" were preparing for college entrance exams. *'Asuka-chan!:' with dyed hair. *'Masaki-chan!:' she dresses like a rebel in this depiction. *'Akane-chan!:' with dyed hair and early "pineapple" and twin-tails. *'Mako-chan!:' with shorter hair. Credit where Credit is Due Department reddit user RedCarConspiracy noticed that she wears a different uniform than Yuri which suggests that they did not attend the same middle school. *Tomoko asks Kotomi a polite question . . . and the seas turned to blood. . . . *Tomoko wants to . . . to . . . exist in a successful series after ten years . . . probably. Trivia *Katō mentioned having an older brother who was in college when she was in middle school in Chapter 140. Quotes *"Then shut up." – Kotomi *"No offense, but that's clearly a background character." – Kotomi describing Uchi *"I want to f●ck." – Tomoko Gallery Katō cTM 10th.png|'Middle School Asuka' Akane cTM 10.png|'Middle School Akane' Mako cTM 10.png|'Middle School Mako' References Category:TomoMote Chapters